Bayou Pierre (Louisiana)

Bayou Pierre is a partially man-made bayou and ancient course of the Red River^[1] in Louisiana, United States. It is a tributary of the Red River originating from an ancient bend of the Red River at Coate's Bluff (Wright Island) in Shreveport, LA ^[2] (now blocked off by a levee to prevent the Red River from flooding into Bayou Pierre) and merging west from the town of Clarence, Louisiana.^[3] The upper part of Bayou Pierre within Shreveport city limits is now a concrete drainage ditch at the bottom of the former watercourse, and provides street drainage for much of eastern Shreveport before the concrete drainage ditch section ends south of LA 526.

Bayou Pierre
Ferry in French Settlement, Louisiana on Bayou Pierre, ca. 1940–43
Bayou Pierre
Location
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parishes	Caddo DeSoto Red River Natchitoches
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Shreveport, Louisiana
• coordinates	32°28′15″N 93°44′16″W
Mouth
• location	Red River
• coordinates	32°21′03″N 93°39′00″W
Discharge
• location	Clarence, Louisiana
Basin features
River system	Red River
Cities	Shreveport Natchitoches

During the era of the Great Red River Raft that blocked much of the Red River and diverted water into alternate waterways such as Bayou Pierre, Bayou Pierre was a navigable waterway that served as an alternate water route connecting the downriver plantations with Shreveport. History books tell of steamships docking at the current site of Betty Virginia Park in Shreveport, LA in order to bypass the raft and serve the plantations downriver.^[4]

Wildlife Management Area

In Frierson, Louisiana, there is a wildlife area for Bayou Pierre and marshes. In this land, there are 2,799 acres.^[5] The land is owned by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF). They allow hunting, trapping, and ornithology. Also, camping is allowed at specific areas.^[6]

History

In the early 1990s, farmers drained the area and destroyed the ecosystem. However, the farming attempts backfired assumedly because of poor soil absorption. The farmers gave up and deeded the land to the LDWF.^[6]

Ecosystem

The ecosystem is known to contain white-tailed deer, raccoons, sandpipers, dove, rabbits, and many types of waterfowl. In the winter, sandpipers flock to the area. Additionally, the area floods occasionally due to poor soil absorption.^[6]

Fort Selden

Fort Selden was situated at the junction of Bayou Pierre and Red River in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana.^[7]